National Republican., 1887-11-22
A Few Speoimen Frauds.


Richmond Dispatch severely criticises Gen.
Mahone's telegram to Chairman Jones ami
claims great virtue for the Democratic man.
ayers, and "supposes there never was
fairer election held Ia this country than those
Of last week in this state.'
We had something recently to say upon
the sudden rush with which the Democrati
press and managers laid claim to Demo
cratic success all over Virginia, embracin
certain counties where 1t was quite impos
sible for any man to have known the result
1t reminded us Of the famous telegram Of
John Goode to Segar and the extraordinary
proceedings that followed OF recounts aul
supplementary returns, by which, uotwith
standing the majority report OF the Demo.
cratic committee OF the house OF Represeu
tatives, speaking by its distinguished chair
man, Mr.. Goode unwiliingly took the seat
and pay which belonged to Mr.. PatJ.
II was claimed that among other counties
"Lee, Dickinson, Wise, and Scott had gon,
Democratic;" when the truth is these couu.
ties have gone Republican.
Through the telegraph the country
was told "Luuenberg elects o Demo
cratic delegate-formerly Republican
when the fact was that no man on cart
could have known at that hour--the might
of the election-how that county had gone;
and when the fact was the result was no.
known until Wednesday night, the 9th In
stant; and then the returns showed thal
the Republican candidate had been electe
by II majority. And now what follows
And therein we may surmise wherefore
these premature and unauthorized claims Of
Democratic success in so many places
where the contrary was the result
We will give few specimen bricks as to
the character of that fairness which the
Dispatch would claim to have characterized
the late elections in Virginia.
In Lunenburg county, where we had
been told the 'county elects Democratic
delegate, formerly Republican, 1.-THE county
commissioners met In the clerks Office on
the following Thursday, as the law pre-.
scribes, to canvass the precinct returns, tn
summarize merely the vote cast for each
person, and to certify the result to the sec
retary of the commonwealth, when II ap.
peared that the Republican candidate had
received a majority Of the votes cast by
eleven. But Il was then discovered thar
the judges OF election at the home pre-.
cinct OF the Democratic candidate, which
had given the Republi,sn candidate seven
teen majority, had not tignei the poll
book, forsooth, 10 the right place. This was
all. They had slgued, bat not In the right
place.
The commissioners, as required by law.
adjourned over to the following Saturday,
meanwhile summoning, as was their duty,
the officers OF election OF that precinct for
the purpose of correcting this immaterial
mistake, as the law contemplatos in such
cases they shall do. They came, and re-
fused to make such correction when IN
open violation Of law, but In conformity
with Democratic methods, for this reason
nTnta arI,i itpar .
out that poll, and gave the return now by
six majority thus obtained to the defeated
Democratic candidate. So II would appear
that the telegraph merely anticipated this
fraud.
And what has the Dispairh to say to this
specimen Of fair election
In Chesterfield the like attempt was
made to take away a seat in the house OF
delegates to which Republican had been
honestly elected, which was only prevented
by the interposition OF Judge Hancock and
his mandatory order to count the vote OF
the precinct which IL was sought to throw
out, aud by that means to give the return
to the Democratic candidate.
And what has the DiSpatch to say Of this
attempt to deprive an honestly elected Re
publican OF his seat and the attempted
overthrow Of the popular will by this count
ing m6chiney
In Princess Anne county, az the court
house precinct, lSi electors voted the Re.
publican ticket, while the machine returned
but lji.
In the same county at the Kempsvllle
precinct 3sS electors voted the Republican
ticket, and here the rlachiue returned but
2S2 votes for the Republican candidate, and
by these means and methods gave the re-
turn by three majority to the Democratic
candidate.
What has the DiSpatch to say of such
violent peryerslons Of the popular will as
these facts establish. DO they support 1t
In saying ''that there was never fairer
election held In this country ~
In Isle OF Wight county the boxes were
notorlously stuffed at six precincts, aud at
two other precincts Democratic tickets
boldly substituted for Republican ballots.
At Smithlleld precinct 403 ballots were
cast, of which 200 were Republican, aud
yet the machine returned lO7 majority for
the Democratic candidate,there.
At the Court House precinct llS ballots